Rebirth
by AfterTheFall
Summary: Voldemort discovers a spy in his ranks prior to Halloween 1981 and deals with him accordingly, handing the traitor over to his most trusted Death Eater for execution. However, this does not go exactly to plan and the deserter end up a 6-month-old baby on
1. Default Chapter

**Rebirth **

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**Summary: **Voldemort discovers a spy in his ranks prior to Halloween 1981 and deals with him accordingly, handing the traitor over to his most trusted Death Eater for execution. However, this does not go exactly to plan and the deserter end up a 6-month-old baby on the steps of a London Orphanage and ends up attending Primary School with none other than the famous Harry Potter in 1985, while the wizarding world believes him to be dead.

**Authors Notes:** Am still working on Open Fire, but have had very little spare time recently. Am getting some time off work and other 'important' business in the next few weeks, so I should be able to update both stories soon.

Please review!

_This life well it's slipping right through my hands   
These days turned out nothing like I had planned   
Control well it's slipping right through my hands   
These days turned out nothing like I had planned_

_-- 'These Days',_ Powderfinger

"Why? Why did you do it?" His voice broke the deafening silence of the deserted Muggle back lanes. "Of all the stupid, injudicious things you have ever done…"

"…Oh get off your high horse Lucius", came the sarcastic response from the sullen man beside the first, "probably can't even spell injudicious, let alone know what the bloody word means…"

Anyone who remotely knew Lucius Malfoy would have expected curses and wand waving and general nastiness in response to that kind of snarkiness, and on any other occasion their assumption of the infamous Malfoy's and their short fuses would have been pretty much spot on. However, the circumstances surrounding the two men striding through the less savoury parts of the West End where not your common garden variety.

Lucius Malfoy had just been ordered by the Dark Lord himself the kill his companion, and not in the usual green light type of way that had become rather popular in the circles of the Death Eaters.

But every time he turned his head ever so slightly to see the turncoat beside him, he knew he would never be able to muster the hatred needed to summon a curse to cause enough pain and his eventual death. He thought about resorting to the muggle way, fists and sledgehammers to the kneecaps and the like. Muggles may be stupid, insipid creatures, but they certainly had decent imaginations when it came to inflicting pain on their fellow moronic muggle, that he was forced to admit.

But could he even manage that?

Probably not.

He hated his stupid conscious sometimes, such a waste of… well, not space. But it certainly was a waste of something. Not to mention a royal pain in the arse to him. How was he expected to be an all-evil monster if this little voice kept on popping up in his head? Lucius don't steal the Tim Tams. Lucius set a good example for Draco. Lucius don't curse your best friend into oblivion.

See? Horrible.

But for all the nonsense that went around his confused little mind, one fact remained.

There was no way in hell he could hurt Severus Snape.

Aside from the fact Severus had cast a charm that would result in any curse Lucius hit him with to rebound and hit the caster, he felt something akin to brotherhood to the annoying git.

Some may say that it's rather impossible for a Death Eater to feel anything aside from blind hatred and the unwavering ambition that was such a driving for behind their community, while everyone else unanimously agreed in was rather cheesy and a sign that Malfoy was turning into a softcock.

He could kill indiscriminate Muggles, Mudbloods and the occasional puppy, without a second thought. But not Severus, they had lived through too much together for him to just flick his risk and watch him writher in pain until death take him. No matter how much he wanted to try out that wicked new curse that McNair had told him about, the one that causes your internal organs to slowly overheat as it eventually ruptured blood vessels and the victim internally drowned in a combination of their own blood and mucus, and their organs failed due to the intense heat…

But no, such fun could wait.

They reached a dead end street, both a little uncertain of what the outcome of the night would be.

"You didn't have a very happy childhood, did you?"

Severus looked a little confused, "What's that got to do with anything? Planning on killing he in ways my Uncle use to describe for me in great detail?" followed, of cause, by trademark sneer number 349, also known as the 'Are you truly as stupid as you appear?' sneer.

Lucius just rolled his eyes in a very un-Malfoy manner, "No. Believe it or not, I'm having trouble conjuring anywhere near enough hatred and evilness to actually kill you."

Severus mulled the statement over in his mind, before replying, "So, you're trying to tell me you're wand's impotent?"

"No! I have absolutely no problems in that area. Has Narcissa been talking to you again? Those blue pills ARE NOT Viag…" Lucius stoped at Snape's raised eyebrow, "Oh, you mean my wand. As in my wand wand."

Severus just rolled his eyes in a very Snape type way, muttering something under his breath Lucius catching words like 'Imbecile', 'In Breed' and 'ya reckon the bleach seeped through into his pea sized brain?'

Lucius raised his wand to Snape, who was sure this was it. He was going to die in some rat infested muggle back street and in his uncomfortable robes as well! Most unflattering.

"By the way, I can spell injudicious, Snape" which was followed by a few words muttered under his breath, and sparks from Malfoy's wand, Severus Snape knew no more.

Lucius walked up to the heap of black crumpled robes on the grim ridden road, and knelt down next to it. Pulling the robes apart, he found what he was searching for. A baby.

Lifting the tiny child, he too stood up. Using the robes in place of a blanket, he wrapped up the boy up, shielding him from the harsh winter chill.

"You did have a horrible childhood, Severus. No matter how much you gloss it over, it was just that" he spoke idly to the child, who clearly had no idea what he was saying.

He looked into his deep black eyes, and for the first time, he saw his innocence and contentment, not the usually despair and depression, the emotions he once needed to search for, the little that proved he was alive and not just an empty shell.

"You have another chance. Can't promise anything of cause mate. Never was too good at keeping them, but the way I see it, it can't get much worse than the cards you've already been dealt." He brushed a stray strand of hair out of his eyes, "You'll know you're a wizard, of cause. Can't loose the best Potions Master in all of Britain, now can we? You won't know how you know, or why. You'll just know"

He smiled down at the little boy, and was surprised a little when he smiled back, "we'll meet again, my friend. Perhaps"

And thus ended the existence of Severus Snape, the poor, socially inept abused child who grew into the cold, sarcastic and generally mean Potions Master, Death Eater and Spy for the light. He was naught but a 6-month-old baby now, free of the horrible weight he held upon his shoulders only minutes before. As much as Lucius wanted him to have a better life that he was forced to live through originally, he knew he would never be granted such a relief.

People like them never did.

Next Chapter:

_The Orphanage   
_As the title suggests, Severus ends up in a Muggle Orphanage and we see him settle in, or at least try to.

This will be rather serious. It's a little tipsy in this chapter, possibly because I've been drinking Absinth. ;)

Promise next chapter will be normal. For me, at least.

_Reviews would be nice too kids._


	2. Chapter Two

He wasn't like the other children; he'd known that from the start.

At one stage, he even dared to believe it made him special in a way. That his lack of so-called normalcy set him apart from his peers, gave him some kind of an advantage over them.

The idea that he was worth _anything_ was forced out of him before he was 5.

_Nerd_

That's what the older children called him he taught himself how to read.

_Loner_

Was what the social worker had labelled him when he chose to spend his him in the dark corners of the building, reading whatever he could get his hands on.

_Troublemaker_

They determined when they would find him, battered and bruised, as a result of altercations with older children.

_Freak_

Was the verdict when he abnormal happenings occurred in his presence.

He knew he caused them, he knew it within himself he could make things happen just by thinking them. But once again, as another couple unable to conceive a child entered the near-derelict building, searching through the pile of Wards of the State to determine who their adopted child would be, he just wanted to be _Normal._

He hated having a stigma attached to his file, he saw the worried looks pass over the prospective parents faces, he heard the hushed warnings of the overseers, cautions against _that child_, _the troublemaker. The freak of Nature._

Nobody wanted to adopt a child with his array of problems. A sickly sallow child, who appeared malnourished and photosensitive, was not the prime candidate for adoption.

Your parents left you here, even they couldn't stand you. They dumped you on our doorstep. Why would anyone else waste their time? When there are children so much better than you?

He didn't believe the mantra that was drummed into him, not to being with anyway. But now, as he watched more children leave, to live with a _family, _maybe even go to school, he found himself believing it.

Even now, as he sat in the dark recesses of the old state building, reading a tattered copy of _Brave New World_ that he had found in the common room, he believed it. He hated himself for his abnormalities, for being a _freak_. If he were ordinary, if his was normal, if he was worth _something_, a family would come and they would take him out of this hell, they would send him to school, they would make him happy.

But he would never be normal, or ordinary. He was a _freak_ and he was worth absolutely _nothing_.

He heard the old decrepit floorboards creak, signalling someone's imminent entrance to the room. He pushed himself up against the wall; trying to make himself as small and inconspicuous as possible, maybe even disappear.

A small crest of light appears under the door, as it's slowly pushed open to reveal a tall, well built man with scruffy brown hair, "What are you doing in here, Thomas?"

"Reading", he answered, opening his eyes and a little disappointed he hadn't disappeared.

"In a wardrobe?"

Thomas sent his eyes downcast, refusing to meet Stuart's, "And locked too, I see. Rather talented to lock the door from the outside, Thomas"

Thomas simply shrugged, mumbling a few words under his breathe.

"Fine, if you don't want to tell me then. You need to follow me to the office, someone we need you to meet"

Stuart waited for Thomas to get himself out of the wardrobe, and then turned his heel, heading towards the Orphanage office. Thomas lowered his head, his long black hair covering his face, but it was not enough to keep the laughs and snickers directed at him as his passed other children, all whispering to each other about the freak.

He entered the office, one of the few decent rooms in the entire building. It was nothing special, a simple wooden table and chair, a few ornaments here and there, photos on the walls and paper seemingly everywhere, but it was comfortable.

Stuart took a seat to the side of the room, while Thomas remained standing. At the desk sat a middle aged couple, rough looking, however only the woman looked cold. The man, perhaps a few years younger than his companion seemed strict but fair, almost welcoming.

"Ms Dale, Mr O'Riordan, this is the boy I told you about, Thomas." The old director, Mr Peterson motioned towards the small boy.

"Thought you said he was eight" Ms Dale snapped.

"Indeed, he is" Mr Peterson

"He's tiny. Looks no older than five"

"Ms Dale, I did try to explain, Thomas is a… an unusual case…"

"I run a Foster Home, Mr Peterson, not a paediatric ward. I do not have the time nor the resources to help one hopeless case such as this"

Thomas lowered his head, he was use to being the centre of arguments, but it never lessened the blows when people debated over him like an objected, when neither party wanted something as tainted as he.

"We will, however, make an exception this case", a new voice entered the conversation, starling Thomas. He looked up in the direction of the voice to see the quiet Mr O'Riordan staring directly at him.

"Mr O'Rior…" Ms Dale began to reprimand, but was cut off by a strong Irish brogue.

"… I have read Thomas' reports and evaluation. There seems no real problem, other that he likes his privacy and his books" Mr O'Riordan smiled at Thomas, "And that is hardly a fault, Thomas. Quite the contrary, actually. Would you like to come with us? Perhaps, go to school?"

Thomas could not contain his joy. _Family? School?!_ It was a dream come true.

"I… can… Yes! Yes, I would like that a lot"

"Excellent, it's settled then. We have a Foster home in Little Whinging, in Surrey. There is a Primary school not far from where we live, I'm sure you would be able to attend there"

Thomas was sure he was dreaming. Things – good things – like this, they never happen to people like him. The adults continued the conversation, organising the necessary arraignments to have the boy relocated, paper work completed and all formalities dealt with.

Thomas couldn't believe he, _He was getting a Family._

* * *

_Chapter 3: _Thomas a.k.a. Severus, moves into Little Winging and meets Harry. 

Also, should let you kids know, Chapter One wasn't serious because I was a little tipsy (on Absinth, no less) and so it wasn't written as planned. So far, I'm just setting the scene – filling in a few facts and such. Is pretty much an AU for the books eventually, but I actually have a fair idea of where I'm taking this, so there is hope I just may finish it!

Please review too ;)


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